1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluid control devices and in particular this invention relates to a modular manifold and valve assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Manifolds are often used to direct fluid from a supply source to several outlets. Each installation may include a variety of valve inlets and outlets customized for the specific application. Customization of manifold and valve systems can be costly and require extensive time and specialized equipment specific to the valve system. Additionally, modifying an existing system such as to increase or decrease valve capacity and/or to change fluid flow paths may require acquiring an entirely new manifold or performing extensive modifications that are impractical in the field of service.
Additionally, valves generally are screwed directly on to the manifold, thus requiring the manifold to be large enough to accommodate the rotation of the valve body. In applications where space is limited, the manifold may not be able to accommodate the rotation of the valve body. In such circumstances, it can be very difficult and cumbersome to repair or replace valves, and in some instances the entire or most of the manifold will need to be disassembled in order to replace a single valve.